CURTIS Davies has given Villa a massive fitness boost and looks bang on course to be fit for the start of the new season.

The £9 million signing from Albion was not due to return until September following an Achilles operation in March.

Martin O’Neill even suggested it might be October before the former England under- 21 centre-back would be ready to return.

But Davies played an hour of a behind-closed-doors friendly against Notts County today and admitted afterwards: "I feel great. It was a good game to get 60 minutes in. I felt I could have played the full 90 but I’ll take it slowly, one day at a time and see how I come through it.

"I’ve been looking at the new shirt for ages and just waiting to pull it on, so it was good to be back out there - albeit in a behind closed doors game.

"I felt comfortable and I didn’t hold back. Hopefully now I’ll get another game soon and I can start to put a bit of pressure on Martin and Zat."